Slave Number 23
by Hummingsoul
Summary: Over the years they gave him many names: Philosopher of the West, Mr Ho, Van Hohenheim or Phiolosopher Stone. But when everything started his name was just Slave Number 23. Many things can happen in a nearly immortal life. This FanFiction will tell different stories of Hohenheim.


**Hello guys! So this is my first FanFiction. I have to admit that I'm not English nor American, I just learnt the language in school so please don't be too strict about the mistakes I'll make. **

**I'm looking for a BETA-Reader, so if anyone wants to join me during this "experiment" feel free to. :) Have fun know reading my first Hohenheim FanFiction. I think that there are too less that are actually about him..**

**Love, Hummingsoul.**

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**»Slave Number 23«**

**⥼ Sesame balls filled with cactus pulp ⥽**

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The hot sun was still shining down onto the roofs of sandstone even if the sky was already coloured in different nuances of orange and red. Soon, the night would take over the day. He stood there again; his hands were leaning on the reeling, while he was starring at the city in front of him. A smile appeared on his lips and he turned his head to the side.

»It's still hard to realise. So many things happened in the last time, didn't they, homunculus?«

The little one inside the flask grinned. »Don't get too sensitive. I knew that there must be something in your little dumbhead. Due to me you and your master gained so much knowledge. But yeah. I think you're right. I've already seen quite a lot since I was born. I'm still very thankful for your blood, by the way.«

»All is one and one is all…« His glance became glassy when he mumbled the powerful words.

»Ha. You're a fast learner.«

The alchemist winced, his hand formed a fist and suddenly he glowed with happiness. »I think that after such a long time of learning I really deserve a free evening. It has been a long time since I last met other people. See you later, homunculus!«

»He-he! You can't do this. Hohenheim! You can't just leave me alone!« The words did not reach his ears anymore. He already ran down the stairs where he grabbed his coat and closed the door behind him. Just when he put his feet on the street he slowed down a little. The torches were already enflamed and lightened the parts of the houses which the sun did not reach anymore.

Where should he go first?

There were so many opportunities – but which one was right for _him_?

When he realised that he had no place to go, no friends or family, he hesitated. The other slaves turned their backs to him after he was chosen by his sensei to learn alchemy. He ambled down a little street in which he found little stands with food that were about to close, selling their last goods to the few passing pedestrians. Joyful, Hohenheim found some coins in his pocket so he took a closer look at the warm displayed dishes.

»What exactly is this?«, he asked the vendor politely. She was a little older but she had a face with friendly facial features.

»These are special sesame balls. We filled them with sweet cactus pulp«, she replied.

»Interesting. I think I'd like to tr-« Before he could finish his sentence, the sesame ball was already gored in front of his face. »Two coins, please!«

»Th-thanks.« He quickly bowed and continued his journey. In the moment he took a first bite, the quiet sound of drums reached his ears. Pleased he figured out that the sesame ball actually tasted really nice. The paste had a nice consistence, not too glibbery, not too hard. Maybe he should eat them more often…

The sound of drums became louder and he realised that there was not only the sound of drums but also music echoed through the streets. Hohenheim turned into the main street and a scene which he had never seen before loomed in front of him. He has heard rumours about the city festivals of Xerxes but what he saw outbid ever story he listened to.

In the centre there was the huge fountain but someone placed burning boots on the water whose light was reflected and began to sparkle on the clear surface. From one side to the other there were lines with colourful lanterns. Here the stands still sold food and other goods to the massive crowd of people. The air was filled with the smell of sweets mixed with the aromatics of meat and accomplished by the rhythmic sounds. The musicians played on the right side of the fountain and the citizens had started to dance around it.

»Oh-!« Die lights let Hohenheims golden eyes gleam and he starred magnetised at the dancing people. Immediately he was reminded of alchemy. The two circles that they had formed moved in to different directions and seemed to form the basis of a transmutation circle. The people were so lively, happy and full of Energy, one single, moving body that pulsed like a heart.

Still biting of little parts of his sesame ball, Hohenheim sat down on a white bench and looked with a joyful smile at the dancers. He was so much under a spell that he did not even recognise the woman that came closer to him and leant down to him.

»What are you doing over here? You seem lonely. Why don't you join us? Dance!« When he looked up, his eyes met green one. Puzzled, he starred at her feeling that he blushed. »B-but I never learnt dancing. I bet I'm horrible.« She smiled.

»Everyone can dance with us. Don't worry. Just come with me.« He wondered why her eyes were green, normally the people of Xerxes had golden coloured eyes, but he did not have enough time to follow his thoughts hence she already pulled him into the circle.

»Honestly, it's easy!«, she shouted over the music. »You just take your neighbours hand. You become part of our community. In here, everyone is equal. Regardless if you are a slave or a master. When someone turns, everyone does. When someone jumps, you also do it.«

Hohenheim did not say that she was not quite right. The only reason why slaves and masters where dancing at the same place was the lucky circumstance that there were some nice masters that gave their property the freedom to go outside for one evening. But most of them kept their slaves locked in their houses. They were prisoners, like Hohenheim was before.

Before he actually knew what happend to him right now, he already moved together with the others and filled with fascination he determined that the young woman was at least right in this point: Someone really became part of the _one, _became part of the pulse that was lead by the music. In the end he was unable to say for how long he spinned around. When he sat down again the moon already had a high position up in the sky. He could not remember the last time when he has so much fun.

»Told you. Everyone can dance.«

The young woman let herself down next to him She also had little pearls of sweat on her neck what calmed Hohenheim a little hence he was unable to believe that he got so exhausted from dancing.

»I assume that I have to agree!«, he said cheerful and put his head into his neck so he was able to look at the stars. A small breeze appeared that swirled around his long hair and cooled down him a little.

»Would you introduce yourself?«

Surprised he turned towards the woman and looked into her green eyes. »I'm number twenty-… Van Hohenheim! They call me Hohenheim«, he corrected himself in the middle of his sentence. Even if he already accepted his new name and was already able to identify himself with it, it was still hard to introduce himself to a stranger. »And who are you?«

»Hohenheim? Sounds pretty elegant. I'm just Lia. I work for a servant of our King. Weird, isn't it? I'm the slave of a servant but still, I'm worth nothing. Well … at least I'm able to break out of the house when there is a festival like this. Why am I telling you this? I'm sure you must be quite wealthy according your name.«

Hohenheim felt a crumbly feeling appearing in his chest: Anger mixed with sadness. »I can understand you very well. Just due to special circumstances I received my name. If my sensei has not chose me as his student I would still sweep his floor.«

Lias eyes widened. »Your Sensei? What special circumstances are you talking about? Is there a possibility for someone like me to-«

»That is not your affair!«, he replied much harder than he planned but he was in sorrow that someone could find out something about the Homunculus. Seeing Lias plaintive face he braced himself and spoke with a gentle tone again. »I mean … shall I show you something?«

She nodded shyly and Hohenheim took a little piece of chalk out of his pocket, placed himself in front of her and started to draw a little circle where he added some symbols as well as some characters.

»My Sensei told me that I have the ability to use our earth's power to do unbelievable things. I'm not as good in it as my Sensei but … look.«

When he laid his hands down on the white line, there was a blue light and in the middle of it there appeared a little figure of stone. The statue showed to people dancing with each other.

»Take it. It's yours and my thanks for this wonderful evening.«

»Woow!« Lia carefully touched the figure with her fingers. »That's really unbelievable. I've heard from wonders like this but I never thought that something like this is actually possible.«

»Well. As you see: Nothing is impossible.« Hohenheim grinned and rose his thumb up.

»M-maybe you're right. Thank you, Hohenheim-San.« Her smile was so honest and truthful that he could not do something else than smiling back.

»I think I should return now. The whole evening was quite spontaneous and my Sensei is probably not really pleased. He will wonder where I am.« He also did not know whether the Homunculus was still standing on the reeling what would not be really helpful to calm his master down. But hey! He also needs some privacy sometimes!

»It really was a pleasure to meet you. You gave me another dancing partner tonight. I don't know why but I'm currently full of hope. Thank you.«

»Eh?« Hohenheim felt himself blushing again but he just laughed. »That, I can just return. You also gave me a nice present. Maybe we see us again, Lia. I wish you all the best. I'd like to dance with you again at another festival.«

She nodded. »Okay!« Hohenheim turned his back to her and started his way back, not without visiting another stand where they sold these sesame balls. There was still a little rest of it on his stick when he reached the house of his sensei. He opened the door and …

someone hit him with the fist right in his face.

»Fool. Where have you been? How dare you to leave him outside. What if someone found him and all our plans … our plans!« Upset Hohenheim touched his cheek where his Sensei had hit him. The alchemist boiled with rage but Homunculus seemed to amuse himself quite a lot.

»Pah, pah. Don't worry. I'm fine again. Little Hohenheim seems to have had a lot of fun. Come on, dumbhead. Let's go into your room so I can force you to learn some new formula.«

»I am sorry, Sensei«, Hohenheim whispered, starring submissive at the ground but his Sensei was not able to see the fire in his eyes. »I am going together with Homunculus, now.«

He took the little one in the flask with him and as soon as he closed the door to his room, Hohenheim broke into laughter.

»What happend. What is that weird food in your other hand?« Hohenheim wiped away a tear of laughing and grinned to the Homunculus. »You know? Evenings like this show me that destiny really liked me when he took my blood from me.«

He felt down on his bed and starred to the little man that also grinned and started to dance in his little flask. »Have you felt in love or something? This doesn't look like you.«

The facial features of the young men got hard. »No … but I just realised that it's not too bad to be part to be in this stream; the one in all.«

Now it was Homunkulus that broke into laughter. »Oh! Oh! You're someone… That is going to be really interesting. You are talking about destiny that makes you to the _one_? What if there is a possibility to catch this destiny and lead it? What if you became it yourself-«

»You know? These sesame balls are pretty good.« Hohenheim just swallowed the last bite. »I didn't know that cactus can be so sweet and yummy. It's really a pity that you aren't able to try some. I think I found a new passion in these balls.« Satisfied he closed his eyes.

»Ouw, Hohenheim. Maybe the two of us will find a way how I can also try that thingy.«

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So...

I hope you enjoyed reading. Hopefully, there weren't too many mistakes. Please feel free to leave a review! See you next time. :)


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